Help is on the way
Undergrads to aid W course instructors
This spring the University Writing Center (UWC) began training the first Undergraduate Writing Assistants, a select group of talented students who will next fall be assigned to assist some of the faculty members teaching writing-intensive (W) courses. While one goal of the program is to ease the burdens on W course instructors, Dr. Valerie Balester, Executive Director of the UWC, also envisions these undergraduates contributing to a more dynamic and innovative writing environment across campus.
The UWC’s pilot program, modeled on successful programs at several other universities including George Mason, Brigham Young, Brown, and Boise State, will assist W course instructors in responding to the work of their student writers. While the Undergraduate Writing Assistants (UWAs) won’t grade assignments, they will be trained to offer students feedback through classroom instruction and individual conferences.
“To begin this program, we asked faculty to nominate exceptional undergraduates who are particularly strong writers,” explains Balester. “And the students in this inaugural group are definitely skilled writers, but writing ability alone isn’t enough. During their two semesters of training, UWAs will also learn strategies for teaching writing. In particular, they’ll learn how to help student writers become more self-reliant, able to discover and remedy their own weaknesses, as well as be able to capitalize on their strengths.”
“The UWAs will learn, for instance, how to ask effective questions to help student writers move beyond merely reciting facts into performing more critical analysis,” Balester continues. “And they’ll learn that there’s little benefit to marking every grammatical error on a paper. Instead, the UWAs will look for patterns and correct a few representative sentences, encouraging students then to find and correct more such errors on their own. One of their goals will be to get students more actively engaged in reviewing their own work, whether by helping students learn to proofread or encouraging them to look for logical weaknesses in their argument.”
UWAs will also receive instruction in locating resources about writing and the teaching of writing.
“The UWAs are becoming familiar with a wide array of resources,” notes Balester. “They’ll be able, for example, to help students find information on how to write an introduction or cite sources. Or they might help the instructor locate examples of different kinds of writing assignments or a Web site that outlines the proofreading process.”
Once the program is at full strength, 60 to 70 UWAs will be available each semester to assist faculty members. Because they come from a range of majors, the UWAs will also bring to the classroom their knowledge of their own field of study.
“I’m really enjoying working with these students,” Balester observes. “They’re energetic, dedicated, and thoughtful. With the added bonus of their training, I think they’re going to be a great asset to W course students and instructors alike.”
Here’s how the UWA program will function.
Selection
UWAs are undergraduates nominated by instructors. They may come from any major but should have a GPA of 3.0 or better in that major and must have at least two semesters remaining on the College Station campus.
Candidates submit a writing sample and a written recommendation from one professor in their major. After the applications are reviewed, candidates are
interviewed by UWC staff.
Training
UWAs will earn two credits over two semesters in ENGL 485. Course work will include reviewing basic writing fundamentals, such as organization, coherence, and style, as well as grammar and punctuation. Students will discuss the writing process from idea generation to proofreading, and will
learn how to conduct one-on-one consultations. Students will also receive instruction in research methods, documentation styles, and
writing pedagogy. And they’ll practice using Turnitin.com, WebCT, and Calibrated Peer Review.
Through their coursework, UWAs will earn certification as writing consultants from the College Reading and Learning Association. During their first semester of training, they’ll also work part-time in the UWC, first observing experienced consultants and then later conducting their own sessions with writers from all across campus.
On the Job
Once they’ve been assigned to an instructor, UWAs can take on any number of tasks. They can
- offer written comments on drafts;
- hold conferences with students;
- lead class workshops on peer editing or Calibrated Peer Review;
- find or create class materials to address specific writing issues;
- respond to student questions via email or instant messaging;
- help students locate and evaluate resources; and
- assist the instructor in designing writing assignments or creating grading rubrics.
Salary
UWAs will earn $8-$10 an hour, depending on their level of training. During their first training semester, their salary will be paid in full by the UWC. Once they’re assigned to work with a department or instructor, the UWC will continue to pay half of their salary for at least one semester.
Placement
Beginning in fall 2005, UWAs will be assigned to a W course, where they will assist both the instructor and the students. Every effort will be made to accommodate specific requests from faculty members, including when possible, placing UWAs with the faculty members who nominated them.
W course instructors may submit a request for an undergraduate writing assistant to be assigned to their fall 2005 W course by contacting Valerie
Balester at v-balester@tamu.edu.
